Page 89 of Playing to Win
“I don’t know how coherent he was, but he was asking for Curly and we try to accommodate our patients as best we can. It isn’t a reflection on you in any way, ma’am,” the doctor said, nodding Kathy’s way.
“Oh, please. I was a surgeon before you were out of diapers, young man. By all means, take my son’s love of his life to see him before he throws a fit. He acts like a kook on pain meds.”
With a small laugh, the doctor ushered Callie through the doors.
God, please help me keep the secret, she prayed in her head. She had never been good at it before, but as she walked down the hallway to the man she loved, she put on her big-girl panties and hoped she could summon the courage, and the gift from the Man upstairs, to lie through her teeth.
Kyle feltlike his eyelids weighed a hundred pounds and he’d rubbed a layer of sand in them just for kicks. All he wanted to do was sleep for about thirty days. But then his eyes flew open and he sat up in bed.
“My cat, Garf. I need ta feed my cat, Garf. He’s probly hungry. And he coughs up hairballzzzz in muh bed, on muh pillow, when he’s hungreeee,” he said, grabbing the bed frame to pull himself up.
“Shhh. Kyle, it’s me. You need to lie back down. Your family is on their way. Just rest.” Kyle looked up to see Curly sitting in a chair by his bed, her hand on his arm.
“Curly,” he said in a singsong voice. “What are you doin’ here? I thought ya hated me.”
“Don’t you remember?” she said with a smile. “We made up.”
“Oh, yeeeeaaaaahhhhh. Tha’s right. I liiiike makin’ up with yooouuu.” Kyle smiled, but it felt like his face wasn’t working properly. And why were his words coming out really long and weird sounding? This was strange. He put his hand on Curly’s face and stroked her cheek.
“You’re so preeeety. You know that? I love you sooooo mush. I was lost, lost, Curls, when you left. I jus called you Curls. Huh. I like it. You like it? Cuz I do.”
“Sure, babe. I like it a lot.”
“Dumb and Dumber! That’s a quote from Dumb and Dumber! I like it a lot! See, I can quote movies, toooo.”
“Yes, you can. Good for you.”
“Just not eighties love stories. Sorrrr-rrry.”
“It’s okay. We’ll just have to watch it some more.”
“Where was I? Ohhhhhhhh, yeah. Lost. Without. You,” he said, pointing a finger in Callie’s face. “And I sucked. Sucked it up big time. I ne’er sucked it up so bad in my ’tire life. You see me? It was baaaaddd. It’s all your fault. Luuuucy, you have some ’splainin to do. Huh. I’m jus full of quotes tonight.” Kyle reached up and patted himself on the back.
“Heeeeey! We wuz playin’ in the champ’nship. Did we win?”
“You sure did,” she told him, holding back what looked like tears. “Jamal made the winning shot at the buzzer. The reporters are probably swarming him right now.”
“Good for him. He’s always wanted the spotlight. Good thang you came ’round, Curls. Otherwize, I’d probly blown it for er’one.”
“Nah, you’d have pulled it out. You’re too good. Now Kyle, please lie back down. Your parents want to come back and see you once I leave.”
“Mom and Dad are here? And all the K-girls? That’ll be fun. They love you. Just like I do.” Kyle grabbed Callie’s hand and kissed the top of it. “I don’t plan on ever lettin’ you get away again, Curls. Okay, that sounded a leeetle creepy. I jush love you. But I’m really tired.”
“Then go to sleep. When you wake up your parents will be here and you’ll feel better and it will all be okay.”
Kyle felt his eyelids start to close and Callie started to pull her hand away. He pulled it back hard toward his chest.
“No, Curls,” he heard himself say. “Don’t go. Stay here.”
“Always.”
